


it's really simple: come back when you can.

by j_whirl44



Series: Azu Week 2020 [6]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, anyways hope emeka is okay what a king miss u, but azu deserves it, rating for one (1) f- word drop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26916367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_whirl44/pseuds/j_whirl44
Summary: Siblings first and foremost.--Azu Week - Day 6: Philia/Storge
Relationships: Azu & Emeka (Rusty Quill Gaming)
Series: Azu Week 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1961188
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6
Collections: Azu Week 2020





	it's really simple: come back when you can.

Einstein tells her Emeka is missing and she doesn’t hear much more after that. The clanks of the factory going on behind her turn into white noise, and she’s semi-aware of Hamid’s small hand gripping as much of her thigh as he can, but other than that her world turns fuzzy.

He’s missing, gone, teleported  _ somewhere  _ that even Einstein doesn’t know about. Dread forms in her stomach which leaves her cold and she tries to not panic in front of everyone. He’s fine. He’s probably fine. Maybe he just went off somewhere and didn’t tell anyone. No mind that that isn’t like him, people can still surprise each other from time to time after all.

_ Rome. He’s in Rome. How the fuck is he in Rome. _

Teleported there. By the same people who dropped Barrett at their doorstep, maybe. It’s all too much. She holds her breath and off to Rome they go. She thinks of Emeka and she hopes he’s alright.

Rome is cold and dark and scary. Her goddess is not with her here, she’s as alone as she’s ever been, even if she’s surrounded by friends.

***

_ The rainy season was a long one when she was seven. She doesn’t remember seeing the sun for weeks at a time, the storms began just after noon and went on well into the night. _

_ There was one night where it was especially windy. Rain whipped the sides of her home, the howling of the wind cut through her window and she was frightened. She hid as much as she could under the blankets, but the fabric was too thin to hide the flashes of lightning. She flinches at every new strike. _

_ There’s a soft knock on her door as Emeka enters. She’s curled up, he lifts the blanket off her and examines her face. _

_ He climbs gently into bed next to her. _

_ “What’s wrong, Azubuike?” he says. _

_ “The storm is so loud,” she whispers. Her voice is quiet, eaten up by the booming thunder outside. _

_ Emeka laughs at her expense a bit, because that’s what older brothers do. Azu pouts. He laughs harder. _

_ “Azu we are safe in here, you know that right?” he says. _

_ She thinks for a moment before her pout lessen only slightly and she nods her head. Emeka smiles, “Great! And besides, I’m here now! Nothing is gonna get to you as long as I’m around!” _

_ Azu grumbles, “Hey! I can take care of myself!” she insists. Emeka playfully pushes her and she almost falls off the bed. She yelps, “Hey! That’s cheating,” she objects. _

_ They begin to wrestle and laugh. Their parents come in and scold them for being away. Emeka is taken back to his room. Azu forgets about the storm. _

***

The quiet moments in Rome are the worst. They’re so close, she feels like she can feel him in the room with her. She takes comfort in that, because maybe that means he’s still alive. She clutches her necklace. It’s cold and heavy. She doesn’t dare call out to Aphrodite now. She doesn’t know who else is listening.

A few tears fall from her face but she wipes them off quickly.

***

_ “C’mon Azu? Why do you have to go. I don’t- what’s so special about this Aphrodite anyway. You were fine here yeah,” he looks at her with hurt eyes and she tries to ignore them as she finishes packing. _

_ “This is what I have to do, Emeka. I...she called to me. I know this is the right choice I’m...sorry if you cannot see that,” she says. She chooses her words carefully. This is far from the first argument they've had. It’s not even the first they’ve had about this subject. Since she announced her plan to follow the paladin away last week things have been tense. Her family heartbroken and fiance devastated, she stands her ground, but so does he. _

_ “You have a life here, Azu, a good one. This is…” he stops himself. He sighs and she wakes his shoulder sag. He moves a little closer to her. She stops packing, “I can’t protect you out there. The world is-” _

_ “I told you I don’t need your protection, brother. I need to do this. I have to do this,” she says. _

_ He wants to argue. She can see the way he’s literally holding his tongue as he searches her face. Eventually he gives us and pulls her into a firm hug. She closes her eyes and buries her face in his chest. _

_ *** _

He’s alive. They did it. She found him. She holds onto his hand tight as they make their way back to the Rome they thought they knew.

Her other hand feels lighter.  
  
The world has ended.

Eighteen months have passed.

Of course she doesn’t have time to comprehend anything before she’s off to Japan with Hamid. She just got her brother back and now she has to leave again. At least he’s alive and her necklace is warm.

They embrace. Hands grasping forearms and foreheads on foreheads. She’s happy to see her brother, and he’s happy to see her. If it was only for a moment.

She hears the news, after that long dungeon crawl where she almost lost it all. He’s off with Vesseek in Cairo, the place she’s supposed to be. She smiles, wonders what Grizzop would’ve thought of the pair.

She knows he’s alright, she hopes he is.

**Author's Note:**

> Been trying to get out an Azu & Emeka piece for ages and i finally did it. Apologize for the shortness but I just wanted to give these two a moment.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!!! Can't believe it's all over tomorrow ;-;


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